Link Shortener

The project OPN started as an experiment back in 2022.
I just wanted a simple way to manage short links with a bit more control than most services offer.

Over time, it evolved into something bigger.

Core features:

• Regular short links
• Branded links (opn.pm/brand)
• Zones (opn.pm/zone)
• Private links inside zones (opn.pm/zone/link)
• Traffic monitoring
• Optional password protection

Additional features:

• UTM support
• Click limits
• Link expiration
• Ability to enable feedback per link or zone
• Anonymous reports
• QR code generation
• Using the main zone as a bookmarks list
• noindex / nofollow control for bots

One thing I experimented with is link commands - you can append them directly to a URL:

:qr - generate a QR code
:feedback - send a message to the owner
:report - anonymous report
:logout - deauthorize a protected link or zone

I’m curious what you think about this approach - especially zones and link commands.
Would love to hear any feedback or ideas.

When working on my projects, I often needed short links with simple analytics.

But many link shorteners either add aggressive ads, limit statistics, or eventually shut down - which can break existing links.

So I decided to build my own service: opn.pm.

It started as a small tool for my own use, but over time I kept improving it - adding better analytics, link management, and keeping the interface simple.

My main goal was to create something reliable and minimal, without unnecessary complexity.

I'm curious what features people consider most important in a link shortener today.